Donated blood helps huge amounts of people successfully recover from injury and illness. For those who are willing, and meet the blood donation requirements, the act of donating blood not only provides help to others; it can result in physical and mental health benefits to the donor.
Iron Reduction
Research has begun to indicate that donating blood can help reduce excess levels of iron in the blood. Excess blood iron can be dangerous, as it has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Women of child-bearing age reduce their iron levels each month through menstruation. Men and post-menopausal women, however, do not experience this regular purging of iron, which may be a contributing factor in the higher rates of heart disease in these populations. Donors should not be concerned about losing too much iron, as prior to each donation, a test in conducted to be sure the donor's levels are not too low.
Health Screening
Before donating blood, donors are asked for a brief health history and screened for basic physical health. Donors will be made aware of such things as pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, cholesterol, and hemoglobin levels. Blood donors will also be screened for infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis. While blood donation should not be used purely as a means for obtaining these test results, donors are notified if they test positively for any diseases. Some donation sites will also be able to refer donors that may be at risk to further counseling or medical care. Even if the blood donation center is unable to refer or provide the donor with medical help, the donor will benefit by at least being made aware of potential health concerns, which can be further discussed with a primary care physician.
Public Health
While the screening taking place during blood donation can benefit individuals, the data obtained from blood donors as a whole has the potential to inform researchers and the general public as well. Though any test results concerning donate blood are confidential as required by law, researchers can ascertain general trends regarding health and disease. Specifically, new programs are being tested to determine if blood donors are following up on health advice given during their screenings. With the ability to determine risk factors for major health concerns such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, public health officials may have new avenues with which to help the public understand and take control of their health.
Helping Others
Giving blood only takes about an hour of your time, but can be a literal lifesaver to someone in need. The altruistic feeling of providing this vital component to another person can often be reward enough to make the donation worthwhile. The positive feelings associated with blood donation can certainly contribute to improved emotional well being as well as physical health.
